Truck.



W. B. LEWIS & J. R. MANSFIELD.

TRUCK.

APPLICATION TILED JU\LY1"L 1908,

Patented May 18, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHBET 1.

Z in W. B. LEWIS & J. R. MANSFIELD.

TRUCK.

APPLUATIOI FILED JULYI'T. 190s.

Patented May 18, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM B. LEWIS AND JOHN R. MANSFIELD, OF HARVEY. ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS TO WHIT- ING FOUNDRY EQUIPMENT COMPANY, OF HARVEY, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

TRUCK.

Specification 01' Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM B. Lnwls and JOHN R. MANSFIELD, citizens of the United States, residing at Harvey, Cook county, Illinois,.have invented a new and useful Improvement in Trucks, of winch the following is a specification.

Our invention relates in general to trucks for lifting objects from the ground and transporting them, and especially to chalgmg machines for annealing ovens.

As a result of some of the s cial features of our invention the machine is articular-1y adapted to be power driven an to handle extra heavy weights at the will of a single operator.

The general ob'ect of the invention is to provide a truck 0 this character winch shall be precise in its operation, ada ted to operate under power with indepen ent hoisting and motive apparatus, and able to turn upon a short radius without interfering with the hoisting ap at-us.

An one my object of the invention is to provide means whereby the carrying end of the truck will move always straight up and down in a vertical direction instead of in an arc, also to rovide a construction such that horizontal t sts or forces due to shocks or jars, shall have no tendency to raise or lower the truck frame.

These objects are accomplished by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figures 1 and 2 are lplan and side views respective] of the true embodying the invention. .ig. 3 is a side elevation of the parts associated with the raising and lowermg mechanism. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 44 Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the pitman whereby the carrying end of the truck is raised and lowered.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throu hout the several views.

In t. e preferred design shown in the drawings, the truck frame consists .in the main of two parallel beams 10 rigidly secured together and provided at the forward end with a latform 11 on which anv annealing pot or ot ,r weight may be carjtied. Near the forward end of the truck is fastened a frame 12 which is provided with bearings 13 wherein an eccentric shaft 14 is journaled. Rigidly secured upon shaft 14 are two eccentries 15 which rotate within pitmen 16, one of these pitmen bein shown in perspective in Fig. 5. Near the ower end these pitmen have a cross head consisting of Wings 17 adapted to slide within the vertical grooves 18 in frame 12 as best shown in Fig. 3. The result is that when shaft 14 is rotated the cross head on the pitmen will be guided in a vertical direction in the framework of the truck. A journal bearing 19 is formed at the lower end of each pitman for the axle 20. In this referred design the machine is power drrven and the axle 20 is formed in two parts connected by a i ferential ar 21 provided with sprocket teeth 22. lga ch art of the axle has a truck wheel rigidly so.-

cured to it so that when the sprocket 22 is rotated the truck will move forward or backward as the case may be.

It is evident that when shaft 14 is rotated in its bearin 13 it will cause a raising and lowering of t e forward end of the truck relatively to the axles 20 which are at a fixed height from the floor. Shaft 14 ht of course be rotated by hand and be moved by the physical exertion of one or more operators, but some of the features of construction of the machine are e ecially advantageous in a power driven an power controlled apparatus and it is for this reason that we have shown a type of machine which is ower driven. The driving mechanism wilPnow be briefly described.

ltilgidly secured to shaft 14 is a gear 25 whic is eng ed by a worm 26 rigidly QB? cured to a sh t 27 running to the hack of the machine. Shaft 27 is controlled and operated by suitable driving mechanism, the construction of which is immaterial as far as the present invention is concerned. Sprocket 22 which operates the differential driven b means of from a 'ving sprocket and is operated l) ower mechanism, the construction of whicas no s ecial bearing upon the invention as he ein 0 si ned- In the form of machine here shown the rear end of the fr mework is so Qrted by a smelt steering wheeler roller 35 llh ing an 1536 ar 21 is a a n 30 hich leads mounted in a frame 37 which is rotatable l about a vertical shaft 38. Said shaft is controlled by a sprocket 39 operated by a chain 40 leading from a sprocket 41 controlled by I the controlling wheel 42 as best shown 1n in operation when the shaft 27 is rotated the eccentric shaft 14 will be rotated and null cause the frame of the truck to be raised or lowered. The axle 20 of course remains at a constant height from the floor and as the frame moves up and down, the guiding action of the cross head wings 17in the slots 18 will cause the forward end of the frame to move ractically straight up and down; moreover ateral movement of the truck frame relatively to the pitman will be revented. This produces a rigid machine w ch works freely and at the same time avoids any tendency for horizontal thrusts or forces to influence the eccentric or tend to cause :1 raising or lowering of the machine. For example, if the truck wheels should strike an obstruction on the floor, the momentum, acting horizontally forward would be absorbed by the crosshead guides and would not affect the raising and lowering mechanism.

As the axle is formed in two parts jomed through a differential gear the motive power can be applied continuousl whether the machine is moving straight a end or turning upon a lo or short radius.

Having t us described the invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a truck, the combination of a truck frame, truck wheels, an axle for said wheels, a pitman journaled on said axle and eccentric connections between said pitman and said truck frame whereby the frame may be raised and lowered.

2. In combination, a truck frame and axle, one of which is movable relatively to the other, guidin means for constraining one of said movab e parts to move in a substantiall strai ht line with reference to the other, w eels for supporting said axle, an eccentric for caus' relative movement of said truck frame an axle, and a worm and gear for operating said eccentric.

3. In combination, a truck frame, truck wheels, an axle for said truck wheels an cecentric rotatably mounted in said truck frame and a itman supported upon said axle and adapted to cooperate with said eccentric to raise and lower the truck frame, said pitman working in guides which are arranged substantially vertically in said frame.

4. In a truck, a truck frame, truck wheels, an axle for said truck wheels, a pitman supported at one end at a fixed elevation with reference to said truck wheels, a substantially straight vertical guide in said frame for guiding the lower end of said pitnmn, and an eccentric rotatably mounted in said frame for open: ting said pitnian.

5. in a truck, a truck frame, truck wheels, an axle for said truck wheels, 11 pitmun supported at its lower end upon said axle, a

guide in said frame for guiding the lower end of said pitman and means at the upper end of said pitman for raising and lowering the frame relatively thereto.

6. In a charging truck for annealing ovens, the combination of a truck frame, truck wheels, an axle for said wheels, apitman wherein said axle is journaled, guides in said frame operative upon said pitman near the portion thereof where said axle is journaled whereby the frame is vertically movable with reference to the guided portion of said itman and to said axle and at the same time prevents forward or backward ple of the axle without produc' any ten ency to move the pitman up or own, and an eccentrio supported in said pitman and supporting said frame.

7. In a charging truck for annealing ovens, the combination of a truck frame, truck wheels, an axle for said wheels, a pitman wherein said axle is journaled, guides in said frame operative upon said pitman near the portion thereof where said axle is journaled whereby the frame is vertically movable with reference to the guided portion of said pitman and to said axle and at the same time prevents forward or backward play of the axle relatively to the frame, an eccentric supported in said pitman and adapted to support said frame, and means on said frame for rotating said eccentric.

8. In a truck, the combination of a truck frame, truck wheels, an axle for said wheels, a pitman supported upon said axle, an cecentric supported in said pitman and adapted to support said frame, means in said frame for vertically guiding said pitman at the point where it is supported upon said axle, said axle being formed in two arts each rigidly secured to one of said true wheels, a differential driving gear connecting the arts of said axle, and dri means on said rame connected to said differential gear for driving the latter.

9. In a truck, the combination of a truck frame, truck wheels an axle for said wheels, a pitman supported upon said axle, an eccentric supported in said pitman and adapted to support said frame, means in said frame for vertically iding said pitman at the point where it 18 supported upon said axle, said axle being formed in two arts each rigidly secured to one of said truc wheels, a steering wheel forsteering the truck, a differential gear connecting: the parts of said axle whereby the true may be driven straight ahead or in curves and a power rlecentric-n13 journaled in said frame, and a 1 vice on said truck frame connected to said worm an gear mounted uzaon said frame for differential gear for driving it. rotating said shaft to tierebv raise and 10. In a charging truck for annealing lower the frame and carr'in piati'orm.

ovens, :1 truck frame having a carrying pint- 5 WILLIAA LEWIS.

form rigid therewith, truck wheels, an axle E JOHN R. MANSFIELD.

for said wheels, two pitmen journuled at one i Witnesses:

end on said axle, an eccentric shaft journaleil J NO. '1. KRIEGER.

in the other end of said pitmen and also ec- 5 J. A. FARRIS. 

